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The recent crash of the Boeing 737 Max 8 from an Ethiopian airline that killed all 157 passengers on board is leaving many families to grieve. This event triggered a ripple of concern for the demand of 737s worldwide.

The crash was a second incident like this to occur since October. Many countries are questioning the plane’s safety and have even decided to suspend all operations of Boeing 737 Max 8s. Among those countries are Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Singapore, the United Nations, Australia, and many others. The United States and Canada are currently the only nations still flying a substantial number of planes of this model.

As Boeing feels the heat from the abrupt stop of demand in Boeing 737 Max 8s, the 12,000 employees in Renton relying on the building of the 737 MAX models for their salary are also feeling the slow burn. Workers at the Renton plant who produce about 52 737 planes a month are starting to experience the economic effects of the incident. They’re beginning to worry that it may lead to employees being laid off if airlines begin grounding the planes on a global scale. With Boeing being Renton’s top employer and a key industry in the city’s growth and expansion, the city is dependent on the company’s stability.

However, despite the repercussions of the crash, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg disclosed to employees on March 11th that he was confident in the performance safety of the top selling 737 models. He stated a message directed to employees. He also expressed the company’s sympathies for the families involved in the crash.

“Boeing has delivered more than 370 737 MAX airplanes to 47 customers. Since its certification and entry into service, the MAX family has completed hundreds of thousands of flights safely. We are confident in the safety of the 737 MAX […]”